There are a variety of conventional vehicle communication systems available in the current market. One such conventional communication system includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter that may be programmed to activate devices associated with a home or dwelling of a vehicle operator. For example, the RF transmitter may be programmed to communicate with a garage door opener, RF-control lighting, gates, and locks or other devices associated with a home of a vehicle operator. In some cases, one or more of the devices associated with the home may utilize different communication protocols, including, for example, the X10 protocol conventionally used in home automation systems, fixed codes or rolling codes, or a combination thereof.
These features, among others, are conventionally offered in a wireless control system currently available on the market and sold under the trademark HomeLink®. This conventional wireless control system includes a control system that is at least partially disposed within a vehicle rearview mirror. For instance, a control unit of the one or more associated communication interfaces of the control system may be disposed within the vehicle rear view mirror. The wireless control system in this context may form part of a vehicle rearview mirror system that includes the vehicle rearview mirror as well as peripheral components and interfaces, such as a rear-mounted video camera and selectable inputs or buttons that enable operation by a vehicle operator. The vehicle rear view mirror system may include a wired communication interface, such as a CAN bus interface, configured to communicate over a vehicle bus with other vehicle mounted devices.
A communication transmitter or RF transmitter of the conventional wireless control system described above may be disposed within the vehicle rearview mirror, or elsewhere on or within the vehicle. Other possible locations for the RF transmitter include the engine compartment. Despite being configured to communicate with several home-based devices, the conventional wireless control system and its communication transmitter are often considered to be a dedicated system for use solely with home-based devices.
A variety of conventional stand-alone communications systems for communicating with systems other than home-based devices are also available in the marketplace. One such conventional standard-alone communication system is utilized for electronic toll collection systems. There are several different electronic toll collection systems in use today in the U.S., many of which form part of the E-ZPass electronic toll-collection system, the SunPass electronic toll-collection system or the EPass electronic toll-collection system. This system is used primarily for collecting tolls for roads, bridges, and tunnels. The principal arrangement of the E-ZPass system, and other conventionally configured electronic toll collection systems, includes a stand-alone transponder device that is placed on the windshield of the vehicle, and a reader associated with a tollbooth. More specifically, the E-ZPass system utilizes a self-contained transponder device that can be obtained from an issuing authority, and placed on the windshield of the vehicle.
In a conventional E-ZPass system, as the vehicle approaches the tollbooth, the self-contained transponder device becomes in proximity to the toll communication system, and can receive a signal broadcast by the toll communication system. The transponder device may be active such that it listens continuously for the broadcast signal, and in response to receiving the broadcast signal, may communicate a packet of information relating to an identity of the vehicle. The toll communication system may be in communication with an account system that maintains a database of accounts associated with transponder devices. The packet of information transmitted from the transponder, or a query based on the packet, can be communicated to the account system by the toll communication system. Based on feedback from the account system, the E-ZPass system may authorize access to a toll area, or record a toll fee against an account associated with the transponder device, or both. In some circumstances, authorizing access to a toll area may include communicating access information that is used to initiate movement of a toll gate.
A principle disadvantage of the E-ZPass system, and other conventional electronic control collection systems, is that the transponder is a physical, self-contained device that is associated with a particular vehicle and placed in proximity to the rearview mirror of the vehicle, potentially blocking any sensors thereof, to enable a clear path for transmissions between the transponder to communicate with the toll communication system. In this way, the transponder is positioned so that it is visible, and in some cases, capable of becoming an obstruction to other vehicle sensors (e.g., an ambient light sensor of the rearview mirror) when mounted. Placing the transponder out of sight, such as in a glove compartment of the vehicle, may avoid these issues but, in many cases, at the cost of substantially impairing the ability of the transponder to communicate effectively with the toll communication system. Further, because the transponder device is often physically associated with a particular vehicle, moving the transponder device from one vehicle to another can be an inconvenience, both in terms of relocating the transponder device and registering, in the E-ZPass system, the transponder with another vehicle. Additionally, the stand-alone transponders often rely on a single, standalone power source, such as a battery, that can become depleted and render the transponder non-functional with little or no indication beforehand.